Teen Gets 12 Years for Fatal Shooting in Bartow

Shaquille Rose looks around the courtroom before his plea hearing in Bartow on Friday. Rose pleaded guilty to second-degree murder charges and received a 12-year sentence for fatally shooting John Hazelton of Bartow in January 2012.

ERNST PETERS | THE LEDGER

By JASON GEARYTHE LEDGER

Published: Friday, September 13, 2013 at 12:55 p.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, September 14, 2013 at 4:18 a.m.

BARTOW | An 18-year-old man was sentenced Friday to 12 years in prison for a fatal shooting in Bartow.

Shaquille Rose was arrested on charges of shooting John L. Hazelton, 18, on the evening of Jan. 12, 2012, after Hazelton answered the door at an apartment on Golfview Avenue.

Rose accepted a plea deal with prosecutors, which was not supported by Hazelton's mother, Tara Mathis.

"I just feel like it's not a fair sentence," she said. "This young man, he took my son's life. My son is gone forever."

An arrest report states Hazelton opened the apartment door and Rose pointed a gun at him, an arrest report states.

Hazelton's sister told police she heard her brother say, "Hold up!" twice and heard what sounded like the door being shut, the report said.

The sister then heard two gunshots and found her brother lying on the floor.

Jordan White, who was listed in the arrest report as a witness, told police Rose had gone to the apartment to discuss an earlier argument.

White said he began walking away and then heard two gunshots, the report said.

He went to his vehicle and drove Rose to a location where Rose threw the gun in a bush, the report states.

Rose denied taking part in the shooting, the report states.

Originally, Rose, who was 16 at the time of the shooting and a student at George Jenkins High School, had been charged as an adult with second-degree murder.

He accepted a plea deal Friday to resolve his case.

He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter with a firearm. Prosecutors agreed to drop a charge of shooting into a dwelling.

Circuit Judge John Stargel also ordered Rose to serve 10 years of probation after his release from prison. He ordered Rose to have no contact with White or Mathis.

Hazelton's mother told the judge that she didn't think the prison sentence was long enough.

"Right is right, and wrong is wrong," Mathis said. "God didn't put no man here to take another man's life."

The judge extended his condolences to Mathis, and he said that he trusted that the lawyers reviewed the case carefully before entering into negotiations.

He asked Mathis to consider the possibility that Rose could have been found not guilty at trial and freed without spending any more time behind bars.

He also said Rose will have to behave while on probation or face more time in prison.

"He was a young man when this happened," the judge said. "He will have an opportunity after he spends a significant amount of time in prison to prove that he is ready to go on a different path."

Mathis said she had one more thing to say.

"There is still a God that sits high and looks low, and he hasn't forgotten about it," she said, before turning to leave the courtroom. "Thank you, judge."

"I'm only here to judge him on this earth, so there is another day for that," Stargel said.

[ Jason Geary can be reached at jason.geary@theledger.com or 863-802-7536. ]

<p>BARTOW | An 18-year-old man was sentenced Friday to 12 years in prison for a fatal shooting in Bartow.</p><p>Shaquille Rose was arrested on charges of shooting John L. Hazelton, 18, on the evening of Jan. 12, 2012, after Hazelton answered the door at an apartment on Golfview Avenue.</p><p>Rose accepted a plea deal with prosecutors, which was not supported by Hazelton's mother, Tara Mathis.</p><p>"I just feel like it's not a fair sentence," she said. "This young man, he took my son's life. My son is gone forever."</p><p>An arrest report states Hazelton opened the apartment door and Rose pointed a gun at him, an arrest report states.</p><p>Hazelton's sister told police she heard her brother say, "Hold up!" twice and heard what sounded like the door being shut, the report said.</p><p>The sister then heard two gunshots and found her brother lying on the floor.</p><p>Jordan White, who was listed in the arrest report as a witness, told police Rose had gone to the apartment to discuss an earlier argument.</p><p>White said he began walking away and then heard two gunshots, the report said.</p><p>He went to his vehicle and drove Rose to a location where Rose threw the gun in a bush, the report states.</p><p>Rose denied taking part in the shooting, the report states.</p><p>Originally, Rose, who was 16 at the time of the shooting and a student at George Jenkins High School, had been charged as an adult with second-degree murder.</p><p>He accepted a plea deal Friday to resolve his case.</p><p>He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter with a firearm. Prosecutors agreed to drop a charge of shooting into a dwelling.</p><p>Circuit Judge John Stargel also ordered Rose to serve 10 years of probation after his release from prison. He ordered Rose to have no contact with White or Mathis.</p><p>Hazelton's mother told the judge that she didn't think the prison sentence was long enough.</p><p>"Right is right, and wrong is wrong," Mathis said. "God didn't put no man here to take another man's life."</p><p>The judge extended his condolences to Mathis, and he said that he trusted that the lawyers reviewed the case carefully before entering into negotiations.</p><p>He asked Mathis to consider the possibility that Rose could have been found not guilty at trial and freed without spending any more time behind bars. </p><p>He also said Rose will have to behave while on probation or face more time in prison.</p><p>"He was a young man when this happened," the judge said. "He will have an opportunity after he spends a significant amount of time in prison to prove that he is ready to go on a different path."</p><p>Mathis said she had one more thing to say.</p><p>"There is still a God that sits high and looks low, and he hasn't forgotten about it," she said, before turning to leave the courtroom. "Thank you, judge."</p><p>"I'm only here to judge him on this earth, so there is another day for that," Stargel said.</p><p>[ Jason Geary can be reached at jason.geary@theledger.com or 863-802-7536. ]</p>